


The Longest Winter

by lobsteredsleep



Category: God of War (Video Games)
Genre: Eventual Romance, Kratos shares his feelings but only via POV, M/M, Original Character(s), dumb norse OC who is weirdly pretty for the time, everyone is gay because I said so, in my canon everyone bathes regularly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-09-05 07:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16805881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lobsteredsleep/pseuds/lobsteredsleep
Summary: Atreus finds himself and his father entangled in a quest that takes longer than anticipated, and they meet a stranger that doesn't attempt to murder them for once.aka whats up gamers im illiterate





	1. The Aftermath of Everything

**Author's Note:**

> lord give me strength to actually finish this fic. also this isn't very serious so A for effort

Kratos stretched his legs absentmindedly as he listened to yet another lost spirit tell their tale of how they were swallowed by the sea, about how they still had unfinished business, something along those lines. He was sure that Atreus was thoroughly enjoying the story, as he always did, but he was more concerned with where they were going to sleep, if wild animals would attack again during nightfall, and with the oncoming winter. He perked up again though when he heard his son say, kind and gentle as he was, "Do you need anything from us?"

"Boy,“ Kratos said warningly, but the spirit continued. "I only wish to see my beloved once more, to know he is safe. Many years have passed since the flood came and took me with it, but I am certain he is alive. I can feel it."

These words made Atreus visibly confused, and Kratos could see it out of the corner of his eye, but made no attempt to comment on it, or explain it to him. He would save his words for later, if he still desired to know. 

"I have forgotten almost everything over the years, yet the thing that never leaves my mind is his name. Grimr. Please, if you encounter him on your travels, kind strangers, tell him that I.. that even in death, I never stopped loving him." The spirit said, and before Kratos could decline, collapsed back into his shell of a body. Immediately, Atreus ran over and collected whatever it had left, and the few seconds of silence almost made Kratos hopeful that his son would for once decline an offer made by a spirit.

"We have to go find him!" Atreus then said, almost as if reading his thoughts directly and becoming determined to destroy his newfound peace. 

"We cannot find someone only with a name." Kratos grumbled, aware that he’d found people with less than even a name often before. To him, a quest like this seemed less than worthwhile though, with only the faint idea of a person potentially being anywhere near them an still alive. It was too vague of a description and too low of a reward, nothing to be precise, for him to be interested. 

"He left behind a necklace." Atreus said, holding it and looking it over as he headed for their boat. „Maybe it belonged to Grimr? Mimir, do you know anything about a person like that?“ He asked as he hopped in, Kratos reluctantly handing over the head and starting to row along the way to Tyr’s temple, hoping to warm up at the fire of the forge for a bit. The air had gotten colder than he was used to, even by the standards of these northern lands. Even though Atreus had beaten his illness last cold season, something Faye had called skammdegí, the dark days, he still worried he would get ill again if he didn’t find them a proper shelter. It had never been a problem with Calliope because of the warmer weather, but around here? He played around with the idea of making shelter at the temple sometimes.

"Ah, I’m afraid I don’t, brother. Being bound to a tree didn’t exactly widen my social circle." Mimir, looking up at Atreus from his lap, seeing the determination in the boy’s eyes. "I’m sure we’ll find him though!"

—

"Grimr? Ah, no, I’m afraid not. We don’t get many customers out here, you see?" Came the answer from Sindri when Atreus asked the same question in the evening. His father was asleep already, taking as much time as he could to rest nowadays. Atreus spent this time learning. Writing, most of the time.

"Oh.. I see." Atreus nodded, sketching the necklace in his journal. Just in case he lost it. "We talked to a spirit, out at the lake. And he.. he talked about Grimr being his beloved." The boy said absentmindedly, earning a nervous look from Sindri and barely any reaction from Brok. 

Atreus kept sketching as he thought. A man and… another man, presumably. The spirit had looked like one, at least, and even though he’d considered just not being able to identify them, he was sure of it now. And he wondered if it was normal. He’d only ever seen two people together, his mother and his father, and of course he’d heard of relationships in myths and legends, but never of two men or two women. How many people like that existed? It fascinated him. 

"Well, uh, you see.." Sindri looked like he was thinking about a way to describe what he was thinking, or better yet, how to describe it to a child. It bothered Atreus, because he knew he was smart enough to understand most things, but he didn’t interrupt. Mimir did that.

"Aye, and he must’ve meant a bunch to him if he sent ya out to find him." He said, redirecting Atreus’ attention down to him, his head on a thick wool blanket. Atreus nodded a bit, finding comfort in how casual and relaxed Mimir was. He was a lot like what he imagined a big brother to be. 

Atreus looked back over at Sindri and Brok. He watched as they worked on some shield, as they talked. The forge, the sound of hammers hitting steel, it felt comforting in the same way that it had when he’d watched Faye sharpen their tools, cook, or skin an animal. That scent of boar and pine trees that clung to their house, or the warmth of his bed. It reminded him that.. he sort of did have a place to call home now. Even though they moved constantly, fulfilling quests and learning more about the gods, only coming back to rest when absolutely necessary… It still felt like home. Not the place, necessarily, but Brok and Sindri. Though he didn’t like the fact that he almost found himself comparing them to Faye. Two moms? Who weren’t moms? No thank you. 

Atreus found himself growing more tired and put his journal away, putting Mimir’s head aside to snuggle up in the blankets. It felt like he’d just closed his eyes when suddenly, his father’s rough voice was telling him to wake up. He somehow felt more tired than before. "Yes, father." Was all that he could muster up as he gathered his things, barely conscious, and made his way outside. In hindsight, he should have probably asked himself where they were going, but he could honestly barely form a single coherent thought.

When he was fully awake though, they were already getting out of the boat again, on the path to the woods to the south, where they could probably hunt for some food. It was all pretty much routine by now, and he was almost as good as Faye had been at reading animal prints now, almost as alert to the rustling in the bushes. And Kratos watched him intently as he did so. He didn’t have to instruct him as much as he did when their journey had started, and even though he only muttered the occasional ‚good‘ or ‚sufficient‘, he was impressed with his son’s skills. He just hoped it would be enough to survive out here. 

It took a while to find a deer, a long while actually. Draugr were killing them off around these parts nowadays. And with winter being more harsh and unforgiving nowadays, there just weren’t a lot of animals that willingly came out of hiding. So when Atreus found a deer and got ready to shoot, Kratos had to remind him to take his time and not make any mistakes. He knew it probably aggravated his son. It would have made him furious that age to be told something over and over again, but he couldn’t be careful enough. 

The moment Atreus let go of the arrow and it hit the dear though, a black mass shot out from the wound, like a thick mud. It made Atreus grimace in disgust. 

"What is that..?" He asked quietly as the deer collapsed, more of the mass pouring out of it. Not like blood, but rapidly. It sunk into the snow-covered ground quickly, and Kratos put his hand on his son’s shoulder.

„Leave it alone.“ He said firmly. He wouldn’t risk touching it. They could find more food elsewhere, go fish at the lake, go to another forest to hunt. He was more than sure that this was the doing of the gods, and he would not meddle with it. Not with Fimbulwinter approaching. So they started slowly returning to the lake of the nine. He decided to sleep in a room separate from Brok and Sindri that night. He needed some peace and quiet.

—

Kratos didn’t sleep a lot that night. He normally didn’t think about bad omens or things that had happened that didn’t affect him or Atreus too much, but the deer and that weird sludge had had such a strange aura to them. Seeing something completely unnatural left a pit in your stomach that didn’t disappear for a while, and it was exactly what Kratos felt right now. These lands were dying and the deer was the first sign of it. It kept him up until he felt half the night was already over. Thinking that it may help to drink some water, maybe go for a short walk, and then go back to sleep, he opened his eyes and sat up. What met him was another pair of eyes though, greyish blue, and wide open. 

In front of him was another man, squatting in front of him with his arms resting on his knees. Most of his body was obscured by a thick brown coat, as was his face by the hood of it. By the lower half of the face that wasn’t obscured by shadows, Kratos could make out a stubble, so he assumed it was a man. The gender didn’t really matter though, because he would have used the same precision and speed to draw his axe if it had been a woman as well. The figure barely reacted and his eyes narrowed to glance at the axe.

"Tell me what you did to that deer."


	2. The Inscription

Kratos only stared back at him wordlessly, axe in hand and ready to strike. Yet the man didn’t make a move to hurt him or Atreus.

On the topic of Atreus, his son was just opening his eyes from the commotion and flinched when he saw the stranger staring down his father. Neither of them were moving, and for a second he even considered that the man had cast some sort of spell on him, but he felt this wasn’t the case. “Father, what-“

“Quiet, boy.” Came the response from him. He was examining the man in front of him closely, suppressing his urge to defend his son without asking questions. But he’d taught himself to be better than that. He instead considered the question, trying to read his expression from what he could see as Atreus subtly drew his knife. He chose his words carefully.

“We shot it for food, but it seemed possessed by something, so we left.” He said, wondering if this little information would please the stranger. He suspected not. The man’s smile dropped slowly, and he fidgeted with the edge of his robe subconsciously. 

“How was it possessed? What did you see?” His tone wasn’t accusatory anymore, and he turned his head to look over at Atreus, which made Kratos sit up more. He recognized the unspoken threat and remained quiet, though he wanted to ask the child as well.

“Some sort of dark liquid came out of it. That is all.” Kratos grumbled. “Now leave this place.”

“I can’t. Not yet. First, I need answers-“

He was cut off when a hand gripped him by his cloak, the buckles connecting it to his body as to not have it fall off lifting him along as Kratos stood up. He held onto his arm instinctively as he was being carried outside forcefully, no harm being done along the way though. Once outside, the man was put back down again, and he angrily threw his hood off to look up at Kratos. 

The first two things Kratos noticed were a burn on the area around his right eye, and a tattoo of some sort of protective symbol next to his left. An almost closed circle with an arrow and some sort of weapon across it. He paid it no mind, though there was a voice in the back of his head telling him that something was wrong. There was little time to think, however, as his gaze fell on a glass bottle that hung securely by his hip by leather straps that the stranger was currently untying. What was inside it only came to view when he held it in front of Kratos’ face, as he’d assumed it to just be empty before. 

What he hadn’t seen in the shadow of his cloak however, was the same black liquid that had bled from the deer the day before. Just now, it was writhing. Seemingly trying to escape. He didn’t have to hide purposefully hide his surprise, since his expression was unmoving as usual. He did not particularly care for the man’s worries though, and looked down at him unimpressed.

“This is your concern, not mine.” 

The stranger frowned and put the bottle away again, his eyes fixated on the man in front of him. He was trying to discern if he was really as oblivious as he seemed. 

“This is everyone’s concern, and if you can’t see that, you must be blind. This is a powerful, living spell, and if it continues to seep into the earth, the plants… the animals..” The man paused for a second to gather his nerves. as he saw the boy sneaking up to listen. He didn’t want to seem so unhinged in front of a child. He was worried he’d frighten him. 

“….I’m not certain what will happen. I just know that nothing survives it. It’s like an illness.” He continued, Kratos very much aware of Atreus’ presence, but not trusting the stranger enough to look away for even a second.

“Leave, now.” Kratos said, his tone having a certain finality to it. He really wasn’t taking no for an answer. “If there is-“

“Hey- hey, what-“ The stranger didn’t even seem to have listened, and walked up to Atreus with the same determination a moth has when it sees a light. That is, a lot. Even so when a familiar hand gripped him again, this time by the throat. The pain was bearable, but it became harder to talk. So he just pointed to Atreus quietly, specifically at the necklace tied to the strap of his quiver. 

Atreus looked down at his own torso and drew the conclusion quickly, since he hadn’t inherited his father’s perception skills, but rather his mother’s. Thank the gods. Or not.

“The necklace?” Atreus eagerly fumbled with the necklace until it came off as he hurried towards the stranger. He was up pretty high, with his father holding him up and all, but he managed to hold it up just enough to let him get a good look at it. Kratos thought for a moment, considering the option to just strangle him, or throw him out into the lake, but ultimately decided to set him down, albeit roughly. 

Coughing and wheezing, the man decided to just sit on the floor for a bit, rubbing his neck. Atreus approached him carefully, against his father’s warnings. He kneeled down and slowly held the necklace out to him, the stranger looking up at Kratos for approval before taking it carefully. 

It took him a moment to speak, but only partially because of the choking earlier. Really, he was at a loss for words. 

“Ah.” He finally managed, slowly turning a small, arrow shaped piece on the necklace. A small clicking sound drew Atreus closer to it, curious to see what it would reveal. To his disappointment, the medallion opened up to show only an inscription in a norse dialect he could barely read. 

“Where’d you get that?” The man asked as he closed it again, a lot less mysterious and agitated all of a sudden. 

“A lost spirit gave it to us. Does that mean you’re Grimr?” Atreus asked eagerly, not sure wether to look at the long lost lover of a shipwreck ghost, or his father, whom he’d proved wrong. They had found him! 

The now identified Grimr nodded and held the necklace, looking down at it fondly. 

“I never thought I’d see that again. It’s been, what, two hundred years?” He mumbled, more to himself, and got up slowly. “I must thank you. This… this used to be very important to me.”

“Used to? Two hundred years?” Atreus asked eagerly. “Are you a god?” He then asked, which alerted Kratos. Two hundred years… He had to be. He gripped his axe tighter instinctively, and opened his mouth to tell him to leave and never return. 

“I am not.” Grimr interrupted, a faint smile appearing on his face. A god.. how silly. No, he was no god. He was far lower than that. With not nearly the same abilities or strengths. “I am the guardian of these woods. And the lake, if I so please. That makes me immortal, in a way.” “We have had enough encounters with… non-human entities. We will leave now. You should do the same.” Kratos again insisted on their separation. This time the man nodded, understanding, and Atreus frowned. 

He was about to object when the stranger smiled and locked the necklace back up again, handing it back to Atreus. 

“Well, I must be leaving. I wouldn’t want to cause you any more trouble than I already have. And you should keep this.” He carefully put the necklace around the boy’s neck when he didn’t take it right away. “It is enchanted to ward off elemental damage, such as frost. I’m sure that would come in handy around here.”

Atreus could only nod, though Kratos was hesitant to accept the gift. He would have the dwarves look it over later. He managed to stop Atreus from convincing the forest guardian to stay by placing his hand on his shoulder, as if to say, “let him leave, he is none of our business anymore.”

And so, Atreus indeed watched him leave, plagued by even more questions than before. 

That evening, Sindri and Brok examined the necklace thoroughly and concluded that what the man had said was true. A spell had been placed upon it, and it was a powerful one. “It’s rare to find something like this in such a good condition.” Sindri had said, still reluctant to touch a trinket that they’d gotten from a rotting corpse. “I don’t expect this would deflect one of, ah, Thor’s lightning strikes, but it’s still remarkable.”

Kratos eyed them and the necklace with a critical eye, taking it back from them after a second. “And you are sure there is nothing more to it?”

“You sayin’ we didn’t look hard enough? It’s safe, alright.” Brok muttered as he swung his hammer down on some piece he was working on. 

Atreus wasn’t really listening, trying to recall the man’s features as best as he could and hastily scribbling them into his journal. The strange tattoo on his face had almost faded from his mind, but he still intended to replicate it as best he could. His father usually didn’t encourage having too many theories about things, focus on the facts, but he still wrote down a number of thoughts about Grimr. About why he seemingly didn’t care for his past… friend. Where the burn mark on his face came from. But most importantly, the black liquid and his connection to it as the forest guardian. Faye had taught him that it was healthy to write his thoughts down like that, and he did feel a bit better after at least writing all these thoughts down.

“Boy.” Atreus almost put a dark line right through his sketch, had he not pulled his hand away in time when he flinched at the sudden noise. Before he could respond, the necklace was dangling in front of his face once more. 

“Keep it, for now. The dwarves say it should be safe.” Kratos said as he watched his son eagerly put it on again. It reached almost across the strap of his quiver, being much too long for a boy as small as him. Kratos feared someone might grab and choke him with it, so he kneeled down to carefully to twist the necklace and loop it around his head again, so it would fit comfortably underneath his armor, where enemies wouldn’t be able to take advantage of it. It was a fairly clumsy process, Kratos’ hands roughly being the size of a skillet, but he managed. 

Atreus didn’t find any words for quite some time, almost amazed at his father being almost gentle, like the time he’d fixed the torn strap of his quiver. It was quite a sight, and he could never really read his expression when he did things like that.

“Thank you.” Atreus finally said, smiling genuinely as his father backed off again slowly. He cleared his throat.

“Get some sleep. Tomorrow we will try hunting in a different part of the forest.” He said, wondering if it would be different there. Wonder as he might, though, the only way of finding out was trying.  
Atreus wanted to ask him more questions about what he thought of the situation with the goo, but he sensed that the only response would be “I do not know.” So he opted to just see for himself tomorrow. 

That night, as well as many before, Atreus saw Baldur in his dreams. It would usually be the fight at the top of the mountain, or the moment his neck had snapped and his body fell limp to the ground. This time it was in Helheim. Atreus climbing the cold stone walls by himself, his father nowhere in sight as he heard Baldur argue with the phantoms again. He couldn’t hear anything in particular, so he kept climbing, hoping to be able to make out the words better. But just before he reached the top, the stones beneath his hands crumbled and he fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i rewrote this chapter just about three times and i finally have a set concept for the whole story. guess this wont be crack lmao i got way too attached to Grimr


	3. Real Campfire Hours

They managed three weeks without another encounter. Three weeks of peaceful silence for Kratos, that is. He’d spent the time slowly starting to learn to read, with Atreus’ help. The runes all looked the same to him at first though, and it didn’t help that he had little patience for studying. Even learning the spoken language with Faye had been difficult. He had been barely able to communicate when Atreus was born, and watching his own child learn faster than him had been… a little humiliating, to say the least. Even now, he still had much to learn. They both did.

It was certainly strange to suddenly be closer than ever, to have shared more moments in a year than they previously had in all of Atreus’ life. But... Kratos was slowly learning. Slowly adjusting and remembering how to take care of a child again, after many years. 

“Father?”

Kratos blinked and came back to reality slowly, looking over at Atreus as he turned away from the engraved monolith he’d been taking notes from.

“I’ve almost figured it out, I think.” Atreus continued, taking his father’s silence as a valid answer. As he usually did. Journal in hand, he walked over to him. “It says here that the forest guardians were once plants, I think. Like they became people because the forest was in danger.”

He seemed a bit stumped on the details of everything. “The inscription is barely there anymore. But I think that’s what is says—“

“Quiet.” Kratos interrupted him, his hand instinctively going to Atreus’ shoulder as he looked around. There was something approaching them. He told Atreus to ready himself as he drew his axe, his son doing the same with his bow. It was a completely natural movement at this point, with how much fighting they’d done. 

They watched as the bushes in the distance shifted, Atreus readying an arrow but waiting for a clear shot. He was trying hard to concentrate, to not get caught off guard by the attack, but what ended up surprising him was that… it wasn’t a draugr, or a monster of any kind, actually. It was a deer. Thin and sickly, but a deer, nonetheless. 

Atreus exhaled relieved as he put the arrow back in his quiver, but not yet being able to breathe easy. Why was the deer so ill looking? 

“Aww..” Atreus vocalized his sadness absentmindedly. “It looks starved. Do you think it’s because of the disease Grimr mentioned?” 

“I do not know.” 

Atreus had expected no more and no less of an answer, nodding silently and extending his hand in an attempt to pet the deer. He wanted to at least offer it some comfort, as he could not offer it any food. It sniffed his hand curiously before Atreus carefully pet it. 

“I feel sort of bad for—“ Atreus cried out suddenly when the deer’s teeth dug into his skin. He tried to pull his hand back, but with the little strength the animal had left, it held onto him. But Atreus stopped his father from harming it, quickly prying its mouth from his hand. 

He hissed in pain as he backed off from the now hostile animal. The wound was barely visible, and bled only a little, since a deer’s teeth weren’t exactly made for tearing flesh. It still hurt. Mostly because of the betrayal. The deer was persistent though, and Atreus moved quickly to hold its mouth closed. 

“Boy! Get away from it.” Kratos frowned, ready to throw the small animal halfway across the lake for biting his son, but trying to control himself. Atreus stubbornly shook his head. 

“Don’t!” He turned to face his father hurriedly, struggling when the animal was removed from his grasp. He was about to argue again but lost his train of thought when he saw that his father, who was known for death and violence, hold the animal firmly in his arms as to not harm it. 

“We… we need to.. what are you doing?” Atreus subconsciously held the wound that had already ceased to bleed. 

“‘We must seek out the forest guardian.’ Is that not what you want to say?” Kratos asked, a displeased but somewhat understanding look on his face. He understood the severity of the situation, and though nothing excruciatingly bad had happened so far, it was the most logical next step to take. Without the forest, they would starve eventually. Just like the deer was about to.

A shiver ran through Atreus at the thought of the forest dying and them having to actively seek out Grimr again. He nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Then let us not waste any time.” 

————

There were no words spoken between them as Atreus maneuvered through the bushes and dead trees, only glancing back every now and then to see if his father was still close by. The sun was almost touching the horizon now, and there was a chill in the air that made Atreus worry about spending the night outside. His hands almost felt numb.

Nevertheless, he persisted. He had deciphered that forest guardians would return to the ‘heart of the forest’ at night to rest, and they were making their way to what Atreus assumed was just that. A pond in the middle of the pine tree forest, where a large tree root protruded from the earth. He’d been so fascinated by the sight when they’d first come across it, that he’d marked the location down on his map. 

“This is it! I’m sure of it.” Atreus called out to his father when he stepped on solid wood and realized that he was on the root. He pushed through more bushes, trying not to get leaves and sticks all over himself, before finally ending up in an area that seemed… almost too perfect to exist. The trees around it had grown much larger than they could have since he had last been here, yet they now seemed… dead. Almost like they had used their last energy to grow that large. They formed a near perfect circle around the pond and root.

Atreus didn’t have time to pay much attention to the surroundings though, as he spotted a sleeping figure inside a cavity in the root. He tried not to trip over his own feet as he ran towards it.

“Grimr! Grimr!” He called out eagerly, despite Grimr only being a few feet from him now. The hooded man flinched awake immediately and pointed an almost embarrassingly small dagger at Atreus as he sat up. Atreus immediately stopped the jog he’d had going on and put his hands up, his enthusiasm unwavering though.

“Grimr! It’s us!” His voice was more gentle now, and the frown disappeared from the man’s face. As did the dagger from the boy’s. His entire body language was immediately different, more relaxed.

The man dusted himself off and stood, much taller than Atreus at his full height, yet barely at eye-level with his father’s shoulders. He cleared his throat.

“You must forgive me for the sudden defensiveness. I don’t usually have many human visitors here.” 

“It’s alright, don’t worry. But we’re here because of.. because of that disease.” Atreus lost his enthusiasm quickly, as did Grimr when Kratos carried the small deer over to him. 

“…Ah. Yes. I am well aware.” He was very quiet now, and he held his arms out to take the deer from the almost bear-like man as he approached him. He was, strangely, not nearly as strong, and even struggled a bit to carry the creature back to his natural wooden hut. 

“I’m very sorry. I see he’s caused you a bit of trouble already.” Grimr eyed Atreus’ slightly bloody hand. “Please, do sit down.”

And they did. The deer was a lot calmer now, visibly comforted by the presence of its guardian. This allowed for some time to prepare a fire at which Atreus could warm his hands. And when everything was done, Grimr opened a satchel and pulled out a handful of nuts and berries to feed the deer with. 

“The forest is dying.” The still no less strange man started, looking back at the two of them through the flames. 

“What little food I have left here, I grew using my powers.” He said as Atreus opened his bag to retrieve some stale bread that he shared with his father. Uncomfortable, Grimr tossed a small ration of dried meat their way. Kratos nodded at Atreus, and the boy started eating eagerly.

“What do we do?” Kratos asked, impatient and exhausted from the long walk. Grimr seemed taken aback.

“W-well.” Grimr thought for a moment. “We need to find the source, obviously. I’m convinced the disease must come from some sort of malicious being that is trying to destroy the forest.”

“So you do not know.” Kratos stated, his expression difficult to read for a stranger such as Grimr. But he assumed it was exasperation.

Grimr felt bad to disappoint the man and remained silent for quite some time as the fire crackled away between them. There weren’t as many ambient noises as he’d gotten used to. The owls were quiet, as were the wolves. As was everything. Too exhausted and hungry to call out to each other. He imagined these strangers were too. 

He came to realize at that point that he’d never learned the names of the boy and his father. Too shy to ask, he decided to live with that, though. 

Atreus had been busy wrapping his hand up with linen, only listening to the short conversation intently. He felt the great need to inquire about every possible thing that had gone through his mind the last days, about Grimr’s relationship to the spirit, about the forest and the goo, and most importantly, about his relationship to the gods. Unlike any deity he had ever witnessed, Grimr was very much… frail. Weak. Not to say he was thin or small, but that he lacked the divine strength his father or Baldur possessed. Even him, to a certain extent. It seemed to him almost as if he was some sort of lost wanderer, only claiming to be a magical being, yet he knew better. The boy so desperately wanted to know, needed to know. What was this man? And without the physical strength to even fight, how could he call himself a guardian?

“…Grimr, have you always been a guardian?” Atreus was still plagued by questions, but held himself back. Just a bit.

Grimr seemed to welcome the question though and perked up, his eyes almost sparkling as they reflected the fire. 

“I believe so. I don’t remember a time before I was with this forest.” Grimr began. “I do remember being much different then. I was… small. Very much so. But not like you are now.” He said vaguely, and then failed to elaborate. He scratched at his stubbly cheek absentmindedly.

“I always loved the forest though. More than anything. And it spoke to me, told me to protect it with my life.”

“It spoke to you?” Atreus couldn’t help but scoot closer, much to the displeasure of his father, who didn’t have much trust to spare for this absolute stranger.

“Yes. In a different way than we are speaking now, of course.” Grimr nodded and smiled. He had to admit, he enjoyed the company. The feeling of human connection was almost alien to him at this point, yet he felt the urge to keep talking get stronger the more time he spent with them. 

As Atreus kept asking and asking, Grimr kept answering, his enthusiasm growing. Kratos watched them through the flames, not having moved even when Atreus scooted closer. And he had to admit, it never ceased to impress him how inviting Atreus was to other people. To anyone, really. Mimir had told him it was simply the instinct of any good person to be kind to a child like Atreus. Optimistic, loving, caring. One would simply feel the need to treat him like family, like a little brother. Kratos did not yet know it himself, but he was thankful, deep inside, for the bridging connections to people that Atreus opened up for him. Just that right now, just like decades ago, he felt that more loved ones meant more potential people that could get hurt because of him. 

Kratos stopped listening to the conversation as he considered all these things, although barely. And while he stared seemingly just in front of himself, he noticed once again the glass bottle Grimr carried around with him, filled with the nightmarish liquid that was still moving, squirming. And an idea came to him. 

Kratos cleared his throat, interrupting the lively chat between them. Faces turned towards him and he tried to find words for what he wanted to suggest.

“Grimr.” He started, still not sure how to make himself sound like… less of a fool when suggesting something so ridiculous. “…The liquid seemed to return somewhere when we shot the deer.”

Grimr’s cheeks grew warmer when he heard Kratos say his name for the first time. He was uncertain why, but he continued listening despite everything.

“And the one in your bottle is trying to escape as well. Maybe we should follow wherever it goes.” There was a moment of silence that made Kratos doubt himself a little, but when Grimr’s eyes lit up with delight, he relaxed.

“Then we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: i now have a tumblr for fanfic stuff! its @lobsteredsleep
> 
> i feel gay in this chili's tonight. also i keep wanting to bring up what grimr actually looks like but you know what? im not ebony dark'ness dementia raven way. he has a stubble thats all you get this chapter


	4. Forest Gays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its been like half a year bc i didnt care for this at all. dm me if u like god of war and being gay. i also didnt proofread this haha jk i never do

The larger glass bottle allowed for more movement of the sentient goo. It behaved, in a lot of ways, like an insect of some kind. Always on edge, with a clear goal. Returning to its hive. The way it moved indicated some sort of sentience, which Grimr thought impossible from.. a liquid. But he was always ready for new things to learn.

The way the liquid — which Grimr and his young companion Atreus had come to call “The Corruption” — wanted to move in was clearly and plainly north. They could tell by the position of where the sun rose and set, and how the direction never changed much. The tracks they left in the snow got deeper continuously as they advanced. It was getting much colder. And Atreus was sure it was because of Fimbulwinter. 

He almost wished they would continue north until Ragnarök wouldn’t be able to reach them anymore. Until the gods were out of sight. But the thought seemed laughable. He knew his father had left his home because of similar reasons, yet he had just run into more gods. He had to wonder if kind gods existed. And if yes, where did they reside? Surely far away from these ones, away from their violence and war and death. Or would they interfere? Would they peacefully try to settle things, and perish in the effort? Was that why there weren’t any?

One thing he had learned on their now four day long travel was that the draugr and other monsters got slower the colder it got. But the bigger ones got hungrier and craved for the warmth of fresh meat and blood. It was nothing his father couldn’t handle, still.

Another thing he learned was that Grimr couldn’t fight to save his life. The only thing that he had on him that could — with a lot of imagination — be considered a weapon, was the dagger with the protective runes carved into the handle that he kept strapped to his thigh. He’d only ever seen Grimr use it to cut bread though. 

And thus, Kratos and Atreus would usually protect him from what dangers they encountered. The problem with that was that… Grimr had a soft spot for almost every woodland creature though. Including trolls and such. Atreus of course didn’t blame him, but it was starting to wear Kratos’ patience thin. One could only hope they didn’t encounter another dragon. 

At this point in time, the sun was setting once again after a whole day’s walk, and Atreus’ legs had grown tired to the point of Grimr carrying him on his back. Despite his lack in strength, the compassion he felt towards Atreus gave him the stamina he needed to carry him until they reached a spot that looked safe enough to spend the night at. 

It was difficult to carry anything around that a proper camp required. Furs or blankets, a roll of straw even. Grimr didn’t need to sleep much, as did Kratos, but Atreus small body still needed as much rest as he could possibly get. Grimr insisted on him taking his coat. It was easily big enough to wrap him in, and it would serve as both a bed and blanket. Atreus accepted after waiting for a nod from Kratos. 

Atreus found himself in Helheim again that night, a mere second after he closed his eyes. Climbing that same wall, his fingers stiff with the freezing cold of the realm. Or maybe it was just the freezing cold of his actual body projecting onto him. The climb was harder this time, and Baldur felt almost out of reach. His voice was weaker, and his words seemed… unreal. Like he was speaking, but only static reached Atreus’ ears. Anxiety welled up inside him as he climbed and climbed. And the structure began to crumble as if it were made of dirt and sand. 

He found himself falling and trying to call out, but no matter how hard he tried, his mouth would not produce a sound louder than a whisper. And he kept trying and screaming soundlessly until his lungs ran out of air. And as he inhaled to try again, he hit the ground. Softly. As if he hadn’t been falling at all. And the cold of Hel was gone, replaced by something different. Something worse.

And he awoke.  
————

“…..Atreus? Atreus, wake up.”

He snapped into a sitting position before he could even open his eyes, and immediately collided with someone else’s head. A pained noise left him as he opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times as they adjusted. And he felt a hand gently pet his head. 

“Are you alright? Forgive me, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Grimr smiled sheepishly. 

Atreus meant to respond, but as soon as he opened his mouth, an apple slice was put in his mouth. 

“You should eat before we get moving.” Grimr’s smile seemed even bigger now as Atreus chewed on the apple, confused. The accidental collision and the food had effectively made him forget the dream he’d just had. It had seemed important though, and he was sort of mad at himself for forgetting. 

“Where—“ Atreus took the half eaten slice out of his mouth but was just given another. This had to be what it felt like to be a horse.

Grimr put the rest of the apple into his non-apple-occupied hand and got back up. Atreus noticed just then that his hair was down and soaking wet. He wondered if he’d gone to wash himself in the nearby lake. The one that was only partially frozen. He’d never really realized how long it was, since he kept it tied up in several braids, but right now, his hair reached down his entire back. A bit like Faye’s had. 

He himself had never even gotten to grow his hair out past his ears. His illness had just always made it grow weird or fall out entirely. He’d be sure to ask him how to braid it if that changed. 

The journey that day wasn’t particularly difficult. No climbing or hiking as much as just, well, walking through the snow. What was difficult though, at least for Kratos, was that they now had an additional person with them who enjoyed talking almost as much as Atreus did. He didn’t ask as many questions, not ones related to the journey, at least. He did, however, inquire about Kratos and Atreus’ wellbeing more than necessary. Making sure they weren’t getting too exhausted, asking frequently if they wanted to take a break or eat something, and generally being annoying like that.

Atreus on the other hand was thankful for it, and didn’t find it to be bothering, since he was used to behavior like this from his mother. Kratos just found it to be… strange at best. To experience this kind of behavior from another man. Something almost caring, which he’d only previously experienced from either people trying to manipulate him.. or his partners. And he came to find almost uncomfortable. It had taken him almost a year to adjust to Faye, and it wasn’t like he was considering marrying this complete stranger. So he just resorted to ignoring him and telling himself that their journey would soon be over.

“Wait.”

Kratos stopped slowly when Grimr put a hand in front of him, Atreus by his side already. The forest guardian looked around, his eyes darting from place to place, like he was searching. And he was. He had sensed something close by, something entirely removed from nature that didn’t belong. 

“What is it? Did you see something?” Atreus asked, his voice barely above a whisper to even be audible over the harsh winds that ripped through the forest. 

“Speak, guardian.” Kratos took hold of his shoulder and turned him around slightly to look at him. Grimr snapped out of it quickly.

“There’s something wrong here. I suspect more corruption.” He said and absentmindedly placed a hand on top of the god’s. “We should be cautious.”

Grimr slowly went on ahead after that, placing his steps carefully while Atreus just stayed by his side. Kratos was glad to stay behind a bit to hide his slight bewilderment at the touch. 

Grimr could feel the coldness grow as he went into the direction of the aura he sensed, pushing past bushes and pine trees without checking on the people behind him. The more he walked, the smaller he felt. The forest had grown so tight with vegetation that he could barely see through the trees, just pushing towards his goal relentlessly. He got more anxious with every step, without visible reason, almost like he was subconsciously being lured in but he couldn’t stop walking. 

And he was out of the forest. He almost toppled over when he passed through what had seemed like an endless wall of bushes. It had had nothing behind it. Just more snow. He was out in the open and the white made him snow-blind for a brief second. He blinked rapidly and brought a hand up to shield his eyes for just a moment, just to adjust. And when he brought it back down he saw it. 

Atreus ran right into him just then, as did Kratos, almost. The small boy grabbed onto Grimr’s arm angrily. 

“We almost lost you! You can’t just run ahead—“

Atreus stopped abruptly, his eyes suddenly focused on the same thing as Grimr’s. It… it was a town. An actual town. One where people lived, without draugr and gods and.. something was wrong. 

It took Atreus a few moments to figure it out. What felt so off about this peaceful little village in the middle of nowhere. There were well kept houses, a marketplace, and even some crop fields as far as he could see from where they were standing. What he wasn’t able to see was.. people.

It was in the middle of the day, and he could not spot a single person outside. Maybe it was the thing Grimr had mentioned? Perhaps they were hiding from it inside, because they felt it too. He hoped so. 

“..Maybe we should head closer.” Grimr suggested shyly, though he couldn’t take his eyes off the empty town either. He was curious, almost morbidly so. He desperately wanted to know what could have caused all of them to hide or disappear. Because to him, it almost felt like the presence of the town’s people was still lingering. 

“No. We have no reason to interfere with their business.” Kratos said firmly. Atreus and Grimr both looked at him bewildered. Had he not noticed the obvious? 

“There’s no one there, father. Maybe we could—“

“Boy.” Kratos shut him down immediately. He didn’t like even the slightest chance of more human contact. Or more unnecessary tasks that his son would surely take up even without a reward. 

“Sir, maybe we should check.” Grimr gently laid a hand on Kratos’ arm to get his attention, which only earned him an exasperated huff. He.. was suddenly painfully aware that he still didn’t know the man’s name. Atreus had been kind enough to introduce himself, but not him. He slowly withdrew his hand. 

“There could be supplies. Or at least a cloak for Atreus.. since it’s getting colder.” He suggested quietly.

Kratos’ expression didn’t change, but he was very aware that the cold wasn’t doing his baby child any good. He nodded, still silent. 

“..Fine. But we are not staying.” He finally gave in and Atreus immediately grinned, his whole demeanor changing. Grimr tried to hide his concern as best as possible, and while he wasn’t sure if the little village would have any supplies, he was sure that he needed to check on it, or he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

The feeling of unease grew with every step as they left behind a path of footprints in the snow. The town wasn’t far away, not by their standards. But Grimr would have surely slowed down a little if Kratos hadn’t kept the pace up. He wasn’t sure if the unwelcoming feeling of it all was because he’d never seen a town before or something completely different.

Seeing all of these houses empty put an unidentifiable feeling into Grimr’s gut that twisted more and more with every minute that passed, expecting to see someone at every corner but just being met with more snow and overturned crates and carts, doors ripped off their hinges, and walls torn down. Grimr would have been certain he’d gone deaf, hadn’t it been for the constant sound of snow crunching beneath his feet. And while there were certainly no other people there, the other indents in the snow grew in size and quantity the farther he walked into the village. He almost missed the black liquid swirling beneath his feet, had Atreus not pointed it out to him. 

They had trouble breaking through the ice that covered the dirt. Grimr had to grab Atreus by the wrist before he could attempt to touch them, not pulling him away though. 

“Careful,” Grimr let go of his hand slowly to fetch a large crumb that was left over from the stale bread, and Atreus watched intently as within a second after throwing it down to the liquid, it was completely dissolved and seemed to be… consumed. He looked back up at Grimr. “They seem to eat just about anything you throw at them.”“They? Are–“

Atreus flinched when he felt himself being grabbed once again. A question was at the verge of escaping him, but he stopped himself when he caught a glimpse of what had alerted Grimr. He gently squeezed Atreus’ shoulder, a silent request for him to stay quiet and not move. 

The creature moved through the city without a clear goal, its mouth partially open and dripping sludge onto the snow, its eyes glassy, staring straight ahead. Each heavy step it took seemed to come with great exhaustion. Almost as if it was exhausted from carrying its own massive weight. There were multiple wide open pores spread around its slimy body that black liquid oozed from, each inhale and exhale squeezing more from its body. It groaned.

Kratos broke the silence with one of his usual phrases, but Grimr was too focused on the creature’s eyes meeting his own, its pupils shrinking as it focused on him.

A toad. He decided this must have been a toad at one point.


End file.
